Steve Mears was named the play-by-play announcer for Columbus Blue Jackets hockey on Bally Sports Ohio on July 2, 2024. He has enjoyed a broadcasting career spanning over two decades.
Mears has spent the past 18 years broadcasting games and serving as a host on NHL Network, as well as handling play-by-play duties for the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders. He has been the play-by-play voice for numerous high-profile NHL and international hockey competitions, including the Stanley Cup Final, All-Star Games, outdoor games and the IIHF World Junior Championships. In 2024, he called play-by-play action on TNT during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and hosted NHL DataCast powered by AWS, an alternative broadcast that used NHL EDGE data to provide fans with a new way to watch the Western Conference Final series between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers on truTV and Max.
The 44-year-old is a native of Western Pennsylvania and a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he broadcast games for the Falcons hockey team. He comes to Columbus after spending the past seven seasons with the Penguins, calling the action on both television and radio since 2017. Prior to that he spent five seasons with NHL Network, serving as host of NHL Live, NHL NOW and as the play-by-play voice for NHL International. He also broadcast games for the New York Rangers and was a host on the MSG Radio Network during his time in New York City.
Mears began his career as the voice of the Central Hockey League’s Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, where he spent four seasons and was named the CHL Broadcaster of the Year in 2005. He then joined the Islanders as the club’s radio play-by-play announcer from 2006-09 before returning to Pittsburgh as a host on the Penguins Radio Network and contributor on PensTV from 2009-12. In addition, he served as the host of MLB Tonight on MLB Network from 2015-17 and called play-by-play action for U.S. Open tennis matches from 2020-22.
Mears and his wife, Kirstin, reside in Dublin with their son, Carter.
